


thicker blood

by littleleotas



Category: Mass Effect, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Family Drama, Flower Crowns, Gen, and cake
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-13
Updated: 2017-03-13
Packaged: 2018-10-04 07:04:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10271000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littleleotas/pseuds/littleleotas
Summary: Doro Ryder only met her cousin, Calixta Shepard, a few times, but she idolised her.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I refused to write anything for Andromeda before Andromeda but then this happened. In general terms, Doro would be descended from Calixta, but fitting those characters into the Mass Effect universe meant shuffling around some details. Also, I don't mean to disparage Hannah Shepard. Space Mom is so good to all my other Shepards. But Calixta's mom is Something Else, so. Sorry, Hannah.

2168

Dorothea smoothed her smocked pink dress, making a perfect circle with her skirt on the floor. She shifted her weight back and forth on her feet tucked underneath her, and combed her doll's hair methodically.

"Dorothea, please put that away, your aunt and uncle will be here any minute," her mother said as she rushed through the room, not even looking at Dorothea.

"Thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-six," Dorothea muttered to herself, counting the strokes through her doll's hair.

"You heard Mom, put it away!" her brother said, running up to her and reaching for her doll.

"Tertius, no!" Doro turned from him, protecting her doll. "I wanted to show her to Calixta."

"Calixta's fourteen, she doesn't care about dolls."

Doro pursed her lips and continued combing. "Thirty-seven, thirty-eight, thirty-"

"What are you counting?"

Doro sighed, dropping the hand holding the comb to her side. "I have to brush her hair a hundred times."

"Why?" Tertius pulled at his bowtie, frowning.

"Because," said Doro. She resumed combing. "Thirty-nine, forty-"

"Dorothea, now," her mother said, re-entering the room.

Doro bit her lower lip.

"You'd better go put her away," Tertius said softly.

"Okay. Remind me I was at forty later, okay?"

"Okay."

Doro ran back to her room and tucked her doll into her own bed, patting her twice, and ran back out to the living room.

"Oh, Doro," her mother sighed, turning from Tertius's bowtie to smooth down Doro's hair.

"Mom, they won't care if we look nice," Tertius whined.

"Yes, well, humour me," said their mother, straightening Tertius's bowtie again.

There was a knock at the door, and Rosamund Ryder sighed, standing up. "Okay," she said to herself, straightening her skirt.

"You look very pretty, Mama," said Doro.

"Thank you, sweetheart," said Rosamund, smiling down at Doro before walking to open the door.

The door opened to Doro's uncle, smiling politely and holding out a bottle of wine. "Rosa, how lovely to see you."

"Hi, Antony," she hugged him. "And Hannah, lovely to see you again," she nodded at her brother's wife.

Hannah nodded, smiling.

Behind Hannah, a black-haired girl with her arms crossed and a sullen expression shuffled in, looking at the floor. Her demeanour was completely at odds with the pastel pink tweed skirt and sweater set she wore.

"Calixta," said Hannah, clearly through gritted teeth, "Say hello to your aunt."

"Hi," said Calixta, not raising her eyes.

"Don't I get a hug?" asked Rosa.

Calixta continued looking at the floor and Hannah sighed. "Don't bother, she's impossible lately." Hannah poked her head around Rosa to find the twins clutching her legs. "Hello, you two! Goodness, you've grown up so much since last I saw you."

Doro looked up, wide-eyed and silent. Tertius stepped out from his mother's shadow and extended a hand to Hannah. "Hello, Aunt Hannah," he said, solemnly shaking her hand.

Hannah laughed. "My, what a gentleman!"

Antony moseyed out of the kitchen where he'd placed the wine. "So," he said nonchalantly, his hands in the pockets of his khaki trousers, "Where's Alec?"

"He should be home any moment," said Rosa. "You remember your niece and nephew?" she gestured to Tertius and Doro.

"Of course I do," he said, crouching down to their level. "What a beautiful young lady and a clever young man."

"Why can't she be clever," mumbled Calixta from across the room.

Antony shot her a venomous look, but Calixta merely raised an eyebrow and steeled her gaze.

Tertius again extended a hand for a handshake, and Antony obliged.

Doro remained at her mother's leg, merely observing.

Rosa reached down to pat Doro's shoulder.

"She's a shy one," remarked Hannah.

"She'll come out of her shell," said Rosa. "Antony, where'd that wine go?"

The adults adjourned to the kitchen, leaving Calixta with the twins. She sighed and flopped on the couch, pulling her sweater off and tossing it to the side.

Doro cautiously approached her. "May I sit with you?"

Calixta waved a hand absently. "Yeah, go ahead."

Doro climbed up and sat on the couch next to Calixta, her feet straight out in front of her, and she straightened her skirt around her once she was settled.

Tertius sat cross-legged on the floor, flipping through a magazine.

"I'm very glad to see you," said Doro.

Calixta gave Doro a bemused look. "Yeah? You'd be the first."

Doro looked at her inquisitively.

Calixta chuckled to herself. "Nevermind. So you're, what, five now?"

Doro nodded.

"Huh."

They sat in silence for a few moments. Tertius flipped a few pages.

"I wanted to show you Rebecca," said Doro.

"Who's Rebecca?"

"My doll."

"Oh. Uh. Okay."

"I told you she wouldn't care," said Tertius, not looking up from the magazine.

Doro turned bright red, matching her hair.

"No, it's okay, you can show me," said Calixta.

Doro folded her hands in her lap. "That's okay," she said in a very small voice.

Calixta looked at her but didn't say anything.

A few moments of silence passed. Calixta turned to Doro again. "I'm sorry. I'm just. I suck. I'm sorry."

"I don't think you suck," said Doro, looking horrified.

A smile crept in the corner of Calixta's mouth. "Thanks."

The adults re-entered the room. Rosa clapped her hands together. "Alright, Dorothea, Tertius, get your shoes on."

"Where's Dad?" Tertius asked, clambering to his feet.

"He's going to meet us there," said Rosa.

Doro slid off the couch and extended a hand to Calixta. Calixta looked confused.

"Come with me," said Doro.

Calixta continued to look confused, but took Doro's hand. Doro led her back to her room and picked up her shoes from the corner.

"Do you need help putting them on?" asked Calixta.

"No," said Doro. "Look, Rebecca's on my bed. I wanted to show you."

"Oh," said Calixta. She walked over to the bed and touched the doll's hair, smiling.

Doro saw this as she slipped into her patent black Mary Janes. She sighed. "I wanted to brush her hair more."

"She's perfect," said Calixta, a bit distantly.

++

Tertius went around the restaurant table, pulling out chairs for all the ladies. Rosa and Hannah smiled and thanked him sincerely. Calixta raised an eyebrow in bewilderment.

Doro scrambled into the chair next to Calixta, beaming up at her. Calixta smiled back.

The waiter came by for drink orders. Calixta began to say something when her mother interjected from across the table.

"She'll have sparkling water."

"I can order for myself, Mom. And I'll have a Coke, please," she said, turning to the waiter.

"No, she'll have sparkling water."

" _No,_ " insisted Calixta, "I'll have a Coke."

Hannah glowered.

The waiter looked terrified. "Um...how about I just bring both?"

"Just the Coke." Calixta smiled triumphantly, giving her mother a look daring her to continue arguing.

After the rest of the drink orders were taken and the waiter left, Hannah said, dripping with fake calm, "Calixta, dear, you shouldn't have such sugary drinks. You know you have that dance coming up and you're already close to popping out of that lovely dress-"

"Mother."

"I'm just thinking of you, dear."

Calixta laughed hollowly.

Before Calixta could say anything further, Alec loudly changed the subject. "So, I have a new assignment."

Hannah rolled her shoulders back, putting a smile in place. "Oh?"

Rosa smiled, taking Alec's hand.

Doro and Tertius looked at each other, then at their parents.

"I will be moving to the Citadel as a military attaché."

Tertius's jaw dropped. "Wow!"

Doro's eyebrows knitted in concern. "Are we going with you, Daddy?"

"Well, not at first-"

"Oh, it's such a shame the military keeps you from your family so often," said Antony.

Calixta hummed loudly.

"Calixta," hissed Hannah.

"It's important work, Antony. Someone's got to do it," said Alec calmly.

"Yes, but does it have to be done by _you_?" replied Antony. "You don't _have_ to live that way."

"Well I think it sounds perfect," said Calixta.

Doro looked sadly at her mother, whose gaze didn't waver from Alec. She seemed to be resolutely ignoring the rest of the conversation.

"Be quiet, Calixta," Hannah whispered loudly.

"What? So I don't EMBARRASS YOU?" Calixta raised her voice, silencing the rest of the restaurant. She looked around uncertainly, but turned back to face her mother with fire in her eyes.

Alec raised his hands. "Please, everyone, calm down. Please."

Rosa looked at Dorothea, avoiding even glancing at Calixta. "Honey, your father will bring us with him when he can. He just has to get settled first."

Doro nodded, still looking sad. She looked up at Calixta, who was having a quiet but angry conversation with her mother.

"We will finish this later," said Hannah, turning away from Calixta and clearly ending the conversation.

Calixta sank back in her chair.

"Are you okay?" asked Doro tentatively.

Calixta nodded. "God, I can't wait to get away from them."

"But they're your family."

She inclined her head down toward Doro and sighed deeply. "Listen, kid. Family doesn't mean anything. They aren't obligated to love you."

Doro glanced over at her mother.

"I mean, _your_ parents love you, obviously," Calixta said hurriedly. "It's just...not everyone's parents do. You don't have to love someone just because they're family."

"Oh," Doro said softly. "I'm very sorry, Calixta."

"It's okay. You didn't do anything. And call me Lix, by the way."

"Lix?"

"Mmhm."

-~-~-

2170

"Ow! Tertius, that's my toe."

"Sorry," he said, moving his foot back. The twins stood on tiptoe trying to peek over the counter into the kitchen as their mother put the finishing touches on their birthday cake.

"I think I see a horse," said Doro, squinting.

"A horse?"

"Yeah, like one on the cake."

"I know _that_ ," said Tertius, rolling his eyes. "I don't expect you to see a real live horse in the kitchen."

"Should I expect to see one somewhere else?"

Tertius shrugged.

The doorbell rang, and the twins yelled, "I'll get it!" in unison, running to the door. Hannah and Antony Shepard stood in the doorway.

"Happy birthday, you two!" said Hannah, smiling at them.

"Thank you," they said in polite unison, eliciting a familiar laugh from behind Hannah.

Hannah and Antony stepped through the door and Calixta followed, holding two wrapped boxes.

"Hi Lix!" said Doro.

"Oh, please don't call her that," said Antony, shuddering. "It's vulgar."

"It isn't vulgar, it's my name."

"Your name is Calixta," Hannah said coolly.

"I asked her to call me Lix," she said, putting the boxes on the table and crouching down to hug Doro. "Wow, you've gotten tall."

"Thank you for coming," said Doro as she hugged Lix back.

Rosa entered the room, dusting off her hands. "Hi, Antony, Hannah. Sorry, was just finishing up the cake."

"Oh, don't worry dear," she said, kissing Rosa's cheek. "We know how hard it is for you on your own."

Rosa set her jaw, but forced a smile.

"Look what I can do," said Tertius, doing a handstand.

"Tertius!" Rosa exclaimed.

"What?"

Lix and Doro giggled.

"That's not how we behave around company, you know better than that," Rosa said.

Tertius looked sheepishly at Hannah and Antony. "Sorry."

"I thought it was cool," Lix said, shrugging.

"Let's do cake," said Rosa quickly, before Hannah or Antony could interject.

As Rosa went into the kitchen to get the cake, Doro and Tertius led the way to the dining room table. They sat together at the head, Hannah and Antony sat on one side of the table, and Lix seated herself opposite them. Rosa's hand reached around the doorway to dim the light before she entered the room holding a cake with sparkling candles. One side of the cake, clearly for Tertius, had a cowboy holding the reins to his horse over a desert sunset; the other side was a light purple covered in perfect pink sugar roses.

"Oh!" gasped Doro when she saw it.

The birthday song was sung (Doro caught Lix lip-synching), candles were blown out, and Rosa began slicing the cake.

"Are you sure you need such a big piece?" asked Hannah as Lix took a plate with a large slice of the sunset half. "Though, I suppose, since you refused to debut, you don't have to worry about looking decent in that gorgeous dress we bought you."

"I told you I didn't want that," Lix said, not meeting her mother's gaze.

"What little girl doesn't want that?"

"Me. And I'm not a little girl," she said, looking Hannah right in the eye as she took an almost comically large bite of cake.

Hannah scoffed. "I bet Dorothea is looking forward to _her_ debut."

"Uh," said Doro, blushing and focusing very hard on the roses on her slice of cake.

"Leave her alone, it's _me_ you're mad at," Lix said, frowning.

"HEY!" Tertius stood up on his chair, cupping his hands around his mouth as he yelled. Everyone turned to him, shocked into silence. "Everyone have some cake." He sat back down and commenced eating his own cake, nodding his head back and forth.

Lix smiled at him, and he caught her gaze and winked before resuming the nodding.

++

Doro sat down in the grass in the backyard next to Lix, dumping a pile of freshly picked clover flowers between them, and began braiding them to make a crown. Lix looked over at what Doro was doing, trying and failing to copy.

"Why are you always fighting with your parents?" Doro asked.

Lix tried to poke a flower stem through a loop and somehow the whole thing fell to pieces in her lap. She sighed. "They don't think of me as a person. They just wanted some pretty decorative little doll who would do whatever they told them to. And I'm not like that, and it upsets them."

Doro pondered for a moment. "Why don't you just do what they ask?"

Lix frowned. "Because. I don't want to. It's not me."

Doro shrugged. "I dunno, it doesn't seem that bad to me."

"Well, you're seven. And you're exactly what they want anyway."

Doro quietly continued working on the flower crown.

"They never let me out, I don't have any friends, I never get to do anything I ask to do..." Lix accidentally pulled a flower stem until it broke. "I'm sorry. Why am I dumping all of this on a seven year-old."

Doro finished her crown and stood up, gently placing the crown on Lix's head. "It's okay."

Lix smiled, gingerly touching the crown. "Thank you."

Doro sat down in front of Lix, crossing her legs and looking intently at Lix. Lix raised an eyebrow in bemusement.

"You're going to be okay," said Doro firmly. "I know it."

"Oh?"

Doro nodded.

"Care to enlighten me as to how?"

"I dunno," Doro shrugged, beginning another flower crown. "But I know you're gonna be okay."

"Suppose we'll have to wait and see."

-~-~-

2172

"Did you hear?" Tertius whispered, opening the door to Doro's room and quickly closing it behind him.

"Tertius," Doro said exasperatedly, "For the _seventh time_ , you have to _knock_ -"

"Did you hear about Lix?" he interrupted, paying her protests no attention.

Doro sat up. "Is she okay?"

"She joined the Alliance!"

Doro's jaw dropped, her mouth forming a perfect 'o' of surprise.

"I know!!" said Tertius excitedly. "I wonder if she'll work with Dad."

"Goodness." Doro put a hand over her heart. "How did you find out?"

"Aunt Hannah's on the phone with Mom right now. I think she's trying to get Mom to ask Dad to talk Lix out of it."

Doro laughed.

Tertius nodded. "I know."

Doro sighed, tapping her thumb on her chest. "I knew she'd be okay."

"Some would say joining the military isn't exactly the safest way to go."

Doro shrugged. "For her standards of okay, though. She's okay. She's gonna be okay."

"Yeah."

"Tertius, I was thinking..."

"Hm?"

"I mean, Lix is gonna go so many places, have so many adventures, meet so many people..."

"Yeah."

"And that's what Dad does, too."

"Are you thinking of joining the military?"

Doro picked at a scab on her knee. "Kinda."

"Well, our parents would definitely be okay with it."

"I know."

"You have plenty of time to think about it, too."

"Mm." She reached over to her computer on her desk.

"What are you doing?"

"Setting up a news alert for anything on Lix."

-~-~-

2185

Subject: Hey  
From: Cdr. C. Shepard  
To: D. Ryder

Hey, kid. I know you won't get this until you wake up in Andromeda. I just woke up too, as it turns out. And by the time you wake up, I'll be long dead. Shit, that's not a fun thought. Sorry, kid.

Anyway. I know everyone thought I was dead for two years. Cerberus (I know) brought me back to life somehow, and right now I'm gearing up to fight the Collectors. I don't know how much you would know about that. I know the Alliance doesn't give a shit.

You're the only family I ever cared about. I love you, and I'm gonna miss you. I'm gonna miss you so much.

Whatever I end up doing, I guess you'll be able to find out when you wake up. I hope you have the adventure of a lifetime out there.

You were right, by the way. I left, I joined the Alliance, and everything was okay. I mean, and then I died, but. Right up to that. And I think...well, mostly I hope that things are gonna be okay from now on. I don't suppose they could get worse, so they can only get better, right?

This is weird. Writing what I know is my last letter to you that you won't read for hundreds of years. And I haven't spoken to you since you were a kid either, so I never really got to know you, and it's just...so weird. But I wanted you to know I was thinking of you. Have fun out there.

All my love,  
Lix

[File attached: birthday2170.png (Photo of Doro and Lix wearing flower crowns)]

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on Tumblr at ridethecricket if you want to say hi, or if you want more info on Lix and Doro!


End file.
